Monday 17th Dec – Transfer round up including Arsenal and Man City rumours

onDecember 17, 2012

And, in true Hollywood style Demba Ba has swung in to remind everyone of Arsenal’s special place in English football. We reported yesterday that the Newcastle United striker will be an expensive buy despite his £7.5m release clause as his wage demands are steep. But the Daily Mail report that he told French media outlet Canal+ :“Arsenal are one of those teams who makes you dream.” It might just be a case of sweet talking his way back into their graces after scaring them away with his wage demand.

Roberto Mancini’s favourite son on the football pitch, Mario Balotelli, is receiving some tough love from his manager after it was revealed that the wayward striker had been slapped with a £340,000 fine by Manchester City for missing 11 games through suspension last season. The Independent reveal that Mancini sanctioned the misconduct fine himself, thus adding fuel to the rumours that the 22 year old’s time at the Etihad is finally coming to an end.

Sam Allardyce has searched the length and breadth of England seeking a classic English centre-forward capable of achieving the elementary requirement of diverting a round object into a net past a guarding professional. ESPNreport that Southampton’s Rickie Lambert, a long-time target for the West Ham boss, is being viewed as a serious transfer target, news that has sent waves of despair towards Andy Carroll and Southampton.

Italian Champions Juventus have moved to clear the air regarding the Didier Drogba rumours as manager Antonio Conte declared to the press that the club weren’t looking for players in Drogba’s tier due to the crippling financial condition of the Serie A as a whole. Drogba is currently on a massive pay scale at Shanghai Shenhua but has been linked with a return to Chelsea and also a move to Juventus in recent weeks, all of which has proven to be a classic case of gossip column hallucinations.